Bills Beat Blog

By Joe Buscaglia

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Mum's the word on Bills' Byrd

by Joe Buscaglia,posted Jul 23 2013 5:37PM

Just hours ahead of the Monday deadline at 4 pm, the lingering contract dispute between the Buffalo Bills and safety Jairus Byrd looks to be in the same standing as it was when the team initially placed the franchise tag on him in March.

Taking a look back at even just the past week, the recent news items are not all that encouraging. The two sides aren't talking, the two sides have no plans to talk and the situation could stand to get even shakier.

Here have been the latest reports from various outlets. It's safe to say you might recognize a trend between them all.

Friday, July 12: WGR Sports Radio 550 reported that Byrd was looking for money much like San Diego's Eric Weddle and Tampa Bay's Dashon Goldson, that there have been no talks once again, and that one source indicated they would be "completely and utterly shocked if there was a deal done by Monday." Sources also indicated hesitation from the Bills' perspective because of the position Byrd plays.

Saturday, July 13: Albert Breer of NFL.com tweeted that Byrd is very unlikely to get a deal done with the Bills by Monday at 4 pm. Breer added that Byrd hasn't yet decided if he'll report to training camp without a long-term contract.

Sunday, July 14: Adam Schefter of ESPN.com then reported that there are once again no talks scheduled between the Bills and Byrd, this time with Monday specifically in view. A source to Schefter indicated that the ordeal could extend in to the preseason, "if not longer."

Monday, July 15 (11:44 am): Adam Benigni of WGRZ in Buffalo reports the Byrd camp is now demanding to be paid as the top free safety in the NFL. Benigni also says the Bills were willing to offer a contract that would have put him within the top four or five.

Monday, July 15 (11:53 am): Tim Graham of The Buffalo News reports that there are no plans to have contract negotiations between Byrd's agent Eugene Parker and the Bills before the 4 pm deadline.

The next step in all of this will likely be 4 pm passes, the Bills and Byrd don't have a deal and fans are left wondering what's next for one of the best players on the team. There is the possibility that if the two sides were willing, they could get together within the final hours leading up to the deadline and work to get a deal done.

However, four different reports all indicating the same, sticky conclusion makes it look fairly certain the contract dispute between the Bills and Byrd will continue on in the month of July.